Loving Married Life in Cleveland

So we set out on a beautiful Saturday to experience the Wine and Chocolate trail in Northeastern Ohio.  I would recommend these events to anyone interested in a fun day out!  You could go to any of the wineries on the list- a total of 18 anytime on Friday or Saturday from noon to 6pm each day.  You got a free tasting and a free chocolate item at each place.  it is a great way to try some of the smaller wineries in Ohio.  For $50 for a couple we received a free box of Malley's Chocolate, wine glasses, and all of the tastings.  We hit 11 of the places on Saturday.  The ones we did not make were slightly further out.  We also could have fit in one more but were hungry for dinner and done with the wines for the day.  It was a lot of tastings!  One thing we did learn is that the wineries make no money from this event unless you purchase something from them directly.  All of the tastings are paid for out of their pocket.  Finding thi...

For full disclosure, my husband works at Red.  In no way does that diminish the amazing wine dinner held there on November 14, 2018.  The pictures show the amazing meal and creativity of the chef that night.  The pairing with the wine was so on point.  I love wine dinners and I will say this is the best wine dinner I had ever attended.  The food and wine were so perfectly paired and you truly got the flavors of each item working in harmony.   The first course was one of the best things I have ever tasted.  The passionfruit vinaigrette paired so perfectly with the Chardonnay.  I usually do not even like Chardonnay wines, but this was amazing.   The maple leaf duck breast was not sweet but well flavored.  The celeriac puree was smooth and creamy.  The wine also again went perfectly with the dish.  You could tell the chef tasted the wine and chose the flavors accordingly.   I mean who doesn't l...

My favorite times of the year are all of the various Restaurant weeks in Cleveland.  it is a great way to get a very affordable meal at a high end restaurant- sort of a try before you buy method.  Some restaurant weeks have converted me to a regular goer, some have led me to never go back.  On November 10, 2018 I took my husband out for the Marine Corp Birthday.  this involved drinks at Society Lounge and dinner at Chinato.  Society Lounge has a very eclectic vibe.  The booth are private, tables are open, room is overly decorated.  It makes you feel like you are with the rich and famous. Even going down the stairs to the door makes it feel secluded.  In the end all of this would mean nothing unless the drinks were worthwhile...and they are!   We both had an absinthe inspired drink, although next time I am getting the smoked drink.  They start you out with a champagne cocktail.  I had the absinthe frappe, my hubby ...

So this blog is not about Cleveland, but it is about some amazingly fun stuff to do in Siesta Key.  I will try to focus on food and fun activity and spare everyone details of the house and anniversary celebrations, although they were pretty fantastic!!! Awesome eats: The Cottage- This is the first place we went in Siesta Key while waiting for our home to be ready.  They were so cool and so friendly.  It was actually an Ohio bar which was a lot of fun.  The Manager was from Columbus and very entertaining.  Café Gabbiano- This place was amazing.  We ordered the Branzino for 2.  They brought it out and skinned and deboned it with a spoon.  The flavor was amazing, the cook was amazing.  It was soft and buttery.  I have never had a fish that well prepared before.  They also gave us a free shot of their homemade Limoncello for our anniversary celebration.  It was an authentic Italian Restaurant and the service was amazing. ...